Are you looking to secure a new job, or to improve your existing job skills? The current pandemic climate has significantly affected work and education and prompted several lifestyle changes and adjustments.
Several surveys have proved that the working population is not the only one to suffer the crippling effect of coronavirus. UNICEF suggests close to 1 billion students being affected by school closures and other measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Whether you want to return to school or otherwise, or change careers, there is one solution – online classes.
List – Online Learning Platforms
Here’s our list of the top 9 online learning platforms that offer free, affordable, yet quality classes on the internet:
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1. Alison
If you are looking for a platform covering all learners’ categories, from beginners, experts, business owners to tutors, and freelancers, Alison is a great place to begin.
The platform has a comprehensive and extensive collection of free resources on science, technology, entrepreneurship, and other personal skills you may want to learn.
Reviews on most of Alison’s online courses are positive and regarded as useful in acquiring new skills, particularly those considered micro-courses.
2. Udemy
Udemy is another online platform you may consider as a beginner with a limited budget. The digital study class has free and discounted programs taught by professionals, entrepreneurs, professors, and experts.
In addition to offering marketing, technology, and business courses, Udemy provides course resources on health, productivity, lifestyle, and hobbies you can explore.
The platform is considered ideal since you can study at your own pace and are suited for people with personalized recommendations based on a current job.
3. General Assembly
This is a platform that offers both web and in-person classes, just as full and part-time alternatives. General Assembly mainly centres on advanced skills, for example, iOS and Android development, data analysis, digital marketing, and JavaScript.
With the rapidly evolving digital environment, the General Assembly is excellent for individuals wanting to pursue careers in frontend development, UX designing, and others with expert-led training.
They have resources to support businesses with training, review, and recruitment. GA is known for creating thriving environments through networking and making a connection to facilitate job placement after course completion.
4. Skillshare
If you think you are too busy to study or learn something new, you should try Skillshare. Skillshare offers classes to students who have just 15 minutes every day.
It has over 500 free courses and a few thousand premium classes to look over in themes, for example, lifestyle, film, composing, tech, and that’s just the beginning.
This online learning network, according to its founder, is built for the creative and curious minds. Aside from its learning and studying resources, the platform also offers room for members to connect to discover and inspire themselves throughout the course journey.
5. Coursera
Do you want to earn your college education but can’t afford the high tuition cost? Then Coursera is your best bet.
They have virtual classes packed with excellent courses in several fields – from history, psychology to professional studies taught by professors at local and internationally recognized institutions like Johns Hopkins University, Princeton, and Stanford University.
Coursera is regarded among other respected institutions to assist you to earn an MPH degree online. The platform is equipped with a personalized app to ensure speedier, active, and engaging learning for the best quality learning experience.
6. Udacity
Udacity provides a straightforward platform for individuals looking to acquire skills for a dream job. From several courses, including web designing, data science, or programming, Udacity offers Nano degrees, which are recognized as official references.
The platform focuses on practical learning rather than lecturing. Along with organizations like Facebook, Google, and salesforce, Udacity has created interactive programs for all level groups, including beginners, advanced, and professional levels. However, they offer both freemium and premium courses, so you may have to filter ahead of time.
Among their popular in-demand courses are:
- Android beginners’ courses which will walk you through the basics of Android and Java programming to become a developer. These courses are offered in collaboration with Google.
- Introduction to psychology. This course guides you through the principles and concepts of psychology to offer you a detailed understanding of the subject matter. It is a collaborative effort between Udacity and San Jose State University.
- In collaboration with Alteryx, Udacity offers advanced analytics courses with problem-solving, which is most recommended for individuals interested in using scientific approaches to make decisions based on data.
7. edX
Like Coursera, edX offers an opportunity for anyone from any location interested in taking college classes in several departments and getting certified upon completion.
The edX platform has partnered with Ivy League institutions like Harvard, Dartmouth, Georgetown, and Berkeley, among several others. However, most courses are free and can be taken at your convenience, making it an excellent platform for virtual learning.
To acquire certification, you may have to pay a little charge, especially if you need it for your work or future job applications. EdX is open-source and non-profit with courses from fields like law, architecture, business, and communication.
8. Iversity
University is a unique online platform that centres around advanced education for proficiency purposes. Their courses are given by business specialists who shaped courses in their expert’s fields for you to learn.
Like most online platforms, it offers free courses just as paid ones. You may filter for “MOOCs” in the course inventory for free classes.
Most of their programs are built around career and self-enhancement, developing sustainable business models, and social innovations.
9. Code Academy
Are you looking for a platform for beginners with an interest in coding with tutorials and step-by-step guides? Code academy is the online academy for any level of study. The platform has resources for prompt feedback to your coding inquiries from the community forum.
Code Academy is furnished to teach you all things coding, covering programming languages like HTML, CSS, Python, JavaScript, and Ruby.
Although virtual classes are shorter than traditional school semesters, it covers almost every skill and is typically self-regulated.
Online courses require huge responsibility and discipline and can play a great role in your personal and academic development.
Were any of the online learning platforms on this list new to you? Which online class are you thinking of taking this year?
